Zee News directed by NBDSA to take down videos on ‘Mehndi Jihad’
New Delhi: In a move to prevent broadcast of anti-Muslim content, the self-regulatory authority News Broadcasters and Digital Standards Authority (NBDSA) recently directed Zee News to take down all videos that it had aired about the purported ‘Mehndi Jihad’, clarifying that the videos violated media guidelines related to neutrality.
NBDSA, taking action against the programme aired by Zee News, said that the matter was baseless and had hateful content. The Authority has also warned Zee News and instructed it to exercise professional responsibility while broadcasting such content in future.
Furthermore, NBDSA Chairperson former Supreme Court judge Justice AK Sikri has asked Times Now Navbharat to remove tickers on two broadcasts on ‘Love Jihad’, with the complainant stating that the tickers were communal and vilified Muslims.
It is understood that action was taken on the news channel based on a complaint filed by one Indrajeet Ghorpade (@jeetxg) after the programme was aired in October 2024.
Ghorpade has complained that Zee News’ programmes promoted the campaign of a Hindutva group’s urging Hindu women not to get Muslims to apply mehndi during the Karwa Chauth festival that is round the corner. He has alleged that the group has accused Muslims of spitting into and also mixing non-vegetarian matter into the mehndi that they apply on Hindu women.
Referring to ‘Jihad’, the complaint has stated that the group has accused the artists pretend to be Hindus as a part of a conspiracy to marry Hindu women and also plan to forcibly convert them. In addition, the group planned to police mehndi artists by checking their Aadhaar cards and performed pujas on lathis saying it would beat up artists who did not conform to its demands if the authorities did not act, Ghorpade recalled.
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NIA registers case to probe recovery of 79 crude bombs in poll-bound West Bengal
New Delhi (PTI): The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Sunday registered a case to probe recovery of 79 crude bombs in poll-bound West Bengal, officials said.
The move came following a directive by the Union Home Ministry in this regard, they said.
In pursuance to the home ministry's order, the anti-terror agency on Sunday registered a case, which was originally filed at Uttar Kashi police station, Bhangar division, Kolkata on Saturday, and took up the investigation, an NIA spokesperson said in a late night statement.
"The case pertains to recovery of 79 crude bombs and other incriminating materials by Kolkata police, which were being stored at a spot, thereby endangering human life and property," the spokesperson said.
Earlier in the day, the Election Commission had directed the West Bengal Police to launch a special drive to arrest those involved in illegal manufacturing of crude bombs in the poll-bound state, an official said.
It asserted that all cases related to the making of any such explosive would be probed by the National Investigation Agency, the official said.
The directive came after the police recovered a large number of crude bombs from the house of a person, allegedly a TMC worker, at Bhangar in South 24 Parganas district, days ahead of the second and final phase of the assembly polls in the state.
The explosives were recovered during a search at the residence of Rafikul Islam following specific inputs, the official said.
The poll panel also issued a warning to senior police officers across the state over any lapse in maintaining law and order before the April 29 polling.
The first phase of the assembly elections in West Bengal was held on April 23, while the second phase will take place on April 29. Votes will be counted on May 4.
A record 93.19 per cent turnout has been recorded in the first round of polling. Bhangar will vote in the second phase.
